Vijay Gajjar, President of the African Squash Federation, announced that the Championships will be staged at St John's Squash Club in Harare from April 5 until 10, during which time the African Squash Federation annual meeting will also take place.

"While Egypt goes from strength to strength at the top of the sport, here in Africa there are encouraging signs of growth in a number of other countries," Gajjar said.

"A number of traditional squash playing nations have a well developed squash culture - in Congo, for example, the Government has provided land for a national centre, and a new scheme 'Squash to Schools' has been launched there.

"Malawi is also targeting primary and high schools as part of its strategic plan with government sponsorship under the title 'President's Initiative For Sport'.

"Namibian squash also continues to develop, with the country competing in the Men's World Team Championships this year for the first time.

"And with Botswana, Zambia and other countries active too, there are growth spurts to be seen across the continent."

N Ramachandran commented:  "Sub Saharan Africa has tended to be a hidden gem in the world of squash.

"Despite limited resources, there is so much going on, with national federations spearheading initiatives to develop the sport.

"We can only praise this work which will ensure the vibrancy of our sport in the region."

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